Artwork

Портрет А.Е. Лабзиной с воспитанницей С.А. Мудровой

Портрет А.Е. Лабзиной с воспитанницей С.А. Мудровой, by Vladimir Borovikovsky, oil, 1803
Портрет А.Е. Лабзиной с воспитанницей С.А. Мудровой, by Vladimir Borovikovsky, oil, 1803

Портрет А.Е. Лабзиной с воспитанницей С.А. Мудровой is an oil painting by Vladimir Borovikovsky. It dates from 1803 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1803, this oil painting by Vladimir Borovikovsky portrays a woman and a young girl in an intimate embrace. The work measures a modest size and is part of the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Borovikovsky, a leading portraitist of his era, executed the composition with a restrained palette and careful attention to the figures' expressions.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a woman dressed in a white gown with a ruffled collar, her left shoulder covered by an orange shawl. She holds a small girl, also in white, whose arms cling to the woman's waist. The gentle gaze of the adult and the curious look of the child suggest a tender familial bond, likely reflecting the relationship between A.E. Labzina and her ward S.A. Mudrova.

Technique & Style

Borobikovsky employs soft, muted tones and delicate brushwork to render the textures of fabric and flesh. The background consists of a subdued green‑brown field with a faint landscape, allowing the figures to dominate the visual field. His handling of light creates a subtle chiaroscuro that enhances the sense of three‑dimensionality while maintaining a serene, almost lyrical atmosphere.

History & Provenance

The portrait was commissioned in the early nineteenth century, a period when Borobikovsky was the preeminent portraitist at the Russian imperial court. After changing hands among private collections, the canvas entered the Tretyakov Gallery's holdings in the early twentieth century, where it remains on display as an example of Russian portraiture from the Catherine the Great era.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Vladimir Borovikovsky

Artist

Vladimir Borovikovsky

Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky (August 4 1757 – April 18 1825) was a Russian artist of Ukrainian Cossack origin. He served at the court of Catherine the Great and dominated portraiture in Russia at the turn of the 19th century.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Tretyakov Gallery open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.